H.Y. Sharada Prasad stopping subbing the Indian Express and served three Indian Prime Ministers almost without a blemish. William Safire brought much-needed gravitas to Richard Nixon‘s presidency. Alastair Campbell graduated from being a Daily Mirror political editor to a champion “spinster” without a problem.
But what is it about moder-day Indian journalists who find it impossible to take their hand off the till when they land themselves in (or worm themselves into) positions of power?
Five years ago, Ravinder Pal Singh Sidhu alias Ravi Sidhu, a former Punjab correspondent of The Hindu, left the Punjab Public Service Commission in disgrace after crores of rupees, disproportionate to his known sources of income, were found stashed away. Sidhu had been selling government jobs for a price.
Yesterday, former Punjab media advisor B.I.S. Chahal, was remanded to police remand after he was picked up by the State vigilance bureau. The charge: an annual income of Rs 10 lakh when the Congress government took over had metamorphosed into assets of Rs 15 crore by the end of it.
IJR 
Persons select the gloves that fit their hand . It is true of the men in power also. It is but natural for a media advisor who is very near the power centre to follow the suit of his mentor. Degeneration of values has set in all the fields, specially in politics. It needs a great deal of integrity , guts and determination not to be soiled serving a power monger. There are instances of hundreds of media advisors who made use of such postings to further their own ends. I do very well remember one dynamic, upright and popular professor of economics from Bellary in Karnataka , who was hand picked to work for R. Gundu rao, the then chief minister of Karnataka. He returned to his teaching profession with in a month to the surprise of all. The reason can be inferred. The media advisors are now mostly chosen for their capacity to conclude deals with the press , ability to sell black as white , of course caste and contacts also count to certain extent. Intelligence, integrity, competence and professionalism are also desirable qualities but even other wise no problem . They are more a media managers than advisors.
Sharadaprasad and the like would be utter flops in the present scenario